How it should have been? Who knows? This is a version, for what it's worth.

The Truth

It wasn't fair, Rachel thought in the moment's silence that followed. She's blaming me. It's not my fault... But she couldn't deny the truth.

'Yes all right,' Rachel said, 'I admit it. I did come to stop the wedding – '

'Thankyou for your honesty,' Emily interrupted, 'It's a refreshing change from what everyone else has been telling me! Everyone else, everyone on your side, has been saying I'm being unreasonable over you.'

'Well you are being unreasaonble!'

'Excuse me, you just said you were out to break up my wedding!' Emily said, outraged. 'How do you think I should treat you?'

'Yes but it wasn't meant to be like that,' Rachel said.

'How did you think it was going to be?' Emily demanded. 'I was totally humiliated, thanks to you.'

'Hey that's not fair, Ross was the one who did that.'

'Because of you, and you're glad it happened,' Emily accused. 'Even though you didn't get what you wanted you still ruined it for me. I'll never forget that.'

'I never wanted it to be that way,' Rachel said. 'It wasn't personal.'

'Oh thank you so much,' Emily stormed.

'It wasn't, I wasn't thinking about you at all. I wanted to tell Ross I loved him, before it was too late, that's all. I hoped he would change his mind and tell you privately before anything happened. The last think I wanted was for anything to happen up there by the altar. I really really didn't.'

'And did you tell him?'

'No! I saw him with you, just before and I couldn't.' Emily had said something to Ross about bad luck because he'd seen her in her wedding dress, some stupid superstition that had come sickeningly true. Emily suppressed the desire to compare Rachel to the evil fairy Carabosse from Sleeping Beauty, the malignant guest whose presence caused disaster because of her ill wishing. She had other things to say.

'But you thought you'd try again at the airport, even though, according to you, it was too late.'

'I wasn't trying again, you weren't there,' Rachel said, 'There was a spare ticket. Ross thought you weren't coming, you were so late.'

'So you thought you could step into my place, and take advantage of the fact that I was so upset I couldn't get it together that day,' Emily chocked back a sob, 'Were you a vulture in another life?'

'Look Emily,' Rachel said impatiently, 'Nothing would have happened if we had gone away.'

'Because you'd have exercised womanly restraint?' Emily said sarcastically, dashing away a tear that had fallen at her memories.

'Because Ross didn't want to.'

'How do you know?' Emily asked tearfully. Rachel really didn't want to be telling her this but she felt that now she had no choice but to confess.

'Because after he got back, and before you arrived, I told him I loved him.' Emily stared at her in hostility.

'And you wonder why I want him to stay away from you?' she said.

'Well you don't need to worry. He told me that it was nice when a friend says they love you.' Rachel took a breath. 'He knew I wasn't talking about friendship love. That was his way of saying that friendship love was all he felt. Are you happy now? Because I feel humiliated telling you all this.' And it still hurt.

'You don't know about humiliation,' Emily said, taking a tissue and wiping her eyes. 'Wait till all your family and friends are watching. I was right about you.' Rachel took a deep breath.

'But you're wrong about him. You didn't have to forbid him to do anything he shouldn't because he wouldn't. I've proved it for you. He was miserable without you, especially when he thought you wouldn't forgive him. You have forgiven him haven't you?' Rachel wondered if Emily's feelings as displayed now revealed that she hadn't resolved her anger over what had happened to her. Instead of blaming it on Ross, she blamed it on Rachel, which was probably much easier for her. 'He hasn't broken your condition once.' Well he had, just before Emily arrived, but why should an innocent dinner for six where the main topic of conversation was the Yeti get Emily all bent out of shape? Ross had told her over the phone that there was no-one who shouldn't be there at the dinner. He was right in a way, because Rachel should have been there. She subsided into silence. Emily said nothing, clutching the scrunched up tissue in her hand.

Suddenly the lift dropped and there was an awful mechanical screech. Rachel and Emily screamed. It had lasted for only a second but they had been terrified in the sudden belief that it would keep dropping. All they could hear after the lift stopped was their own panicked breathing.

'Do you think that's it?' Rachel said in a frightened whisper.

'I don't know,' Emily said, voice trembling. Neither of them had gotten over the emotional load of the previous conversation. Rachel suddenly realised that that they were both huddled on the floor of the lift, closer together than she would have believed possible. The lift dropped again for a second and they screamed again, this time grabbing at each other.

When it seemed clear that the lift wasn't going to move, they disentangled themselves awkwardly and edged back towards opposite sides of the lift, just in case any sudden movements set it off again.

'Maybe they're fixing it,' Emily said, 'Perhaps that means we'll be out soon.'

'I hope so,' Rachel said. She felt a bit churlish. Suddenly she had a thought. 'What if we both scream together? Maybe someone will hear us.' All that achieved was a headache for both of them.